Sunday, August 26, 2007

The Easiest Ways to (Supposedly) Lose Weight


Many moons ago I used to work for a small network equipment reseller and systems integrator. At one point (when the Internet wasn't anything like it is today) they decided that they wanted to start up an Internet Service Provider operation. This is back when the first big dial-up Internet networks were first getting started. We sold bandwidth and we also developed web pages and hosted them as part of the business.
One day a particularly seedy-looking older fellow came in wanting us to create a commercial web site to help him sell his diet pills. He supposedly had thousands sitting in a warehouse he needed to move. This older fellow readily admitted that he had been arrested and charged by the US Postal Service for mail fraud in the past though I don't think he did any jail time or anything. He also freely admitted that the pills really didn't do much of anything. They were mostly vitamins and nutritional suplements. He was able to sell these as diet pills because tucked away in the fine print was the information stating that in order for the pills to work and for the consumer to experience weight loss they also had to follow the diet and excercise plan that accompanied the pills (a very low calorie plan that consisted of salads and plenty of vigourous excercise).

So this fellow surely sold many thousands of diet pills, knowing they wouldn't work, hinting that they would, and leaving the details to the fine print. Although the owners of the company and I eventually agreed to *NOT* be a part of this seedy fellows scam - and we sent him elsewhere for his Internet business - it gave me a real insight into who is behind so many of these kinds of diet pill scams. And the way that they take advantage of nieve innocent folks wanting instant results (without any work or pain or personal loss or even time spent working towards better health on their part). They want their weight loss in a pill. Something easy that doesn't require them to change much if at all.

This is nothing new. And thinking about some of the many diet pills you read about today makes me wonder about the veracity of these and similar diets in a pill bottle. I have no idea how effective they are or aren't. But I am a sceptic at this point. There is something honest about weight loss that actually requires work, pain, sacrifice, discipline, and actually takes time that I like. No catchy legalize in the fine print. It's simple and honest.

People have been looking for these kinds of shortcuts for centuries. I spent a few minutes on the Internet today looking about some of these kinds of quick and easy solutions in the past, and have highlighted a few I found below (I have no idea of the veracity of these, but they mostly look like real published ads or products sold).

And I also read about a number of similar potions, powders, and treatments that I wasn't able to find but read about:

  • Russell's Anti-Corpulent Preparation Cream
  • Jean Down's Get Slim Powder
  • Every Woman's Flesh Reducer
  • Howell's Reducing Paste
  • George Burnwell's Obesity Belt
  • Gardner Reducing Machines
  • Reducing chairs
  • Sugar, beeswax, lard, ox-bile (rub where needed)
Today people are really no different. They will buy slimming belts, abdominal-izers of various types, diet pills, do liposuction, get the lap band, do gastric bypass, and try all kinds of gadgets and solutions that promise tremendous and easy results. So this is nothing new, and is just more of the same for hundreds of years. Some of the potions below are simply citric acid and food coloring. Some actually contain sugar (yeah, that ought to work)! For every nieve innocent that's born there's a con man out there somewhere willing to take them for all they are worth.

Some of these are kindof funny to read about. The use of the words "Corpulent", and "Stout", and "Portly" seem to have fallen out of fashion.
"Adipose", "saponaceous", "avoirdupois", and "porcine" are rarely heard either. Yet go to Google and see how often these sort of words (like corpulent) were commonly used in the past by Herman Melville and other literary masters.

It's interesting what the latest fads are in weight loss. The latest shortcuts promising fantastic and unbelievable results. I wonder how many do nothing at all or are simply some old greasy flim flam man behind the products (running from the FTC, the postal service investigators, and the states and federal attorneys general).














An Interesting Link:

Terrors of the Table: The Curious History of Nutrition By Walter Gratzer
http://books.google.com/books?id=YhqHSDjnsbYC&pg=PA233&lpg=PA233&dq=russells+anti+corpulent&source=web&ots=15t9pt_wpq&sig=VxMDuJFAwh2J84oWq-gcaYDHZqs

An Interesting Article:

FTC Stops Diet Spam http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,136401-c,spam/article.html

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Really Important Stuff

BigDaddyD posted some thoughts on his blog (lowcarbohydrate.blogspot.com) that I think is tremendously important and is certainly worthy of notice and consideration by any and all low carbers. It really struck a chord and resonated with me.

He basically has already lost about 100 lbs or more and is now contemplating how he has to live in order to be successful on ongoing maintenance. In thinking it through, he realized that it is important to carefully consider and list the kinds of things that he did that got him into trouble in the first place. And to understand what the thinking he had at the time, and pretty much the whole enchilada about how he got overweight in the first place
By being brutally honest with ourselves about this (if we were to do this too), and really considering this, we can probably better understand our own weaknesses and the things that we personally struggle with too. I think it is an excellent idea!

I took my own introspection to my favorite low carb support group forum (one with a special area for folks with 100 lbs to lose or more - the Triple Digits Club). In truth, I think that this is the kind of thing that is SO IMPORTANT, I am going to likely be really peeling the onion on this one (through the layers) to get to my deepest issues and think them through for a long while.
No proper maintenance plan can really be effective without understanding all our mistakes and little failings (and stinkin thinkin) that ended up with us in the position that we are so overweight. Some of us at 100 lbs or more... and in my own personal case much more than a hundred pounds overweight! In fact, at a hundred pounds down I may still have over a hundred more to go!

The most important thing for me is not just the losing of the weight but the maintaining a healthy low-carb life over the long-haul. Like so many of my low-carb heros have already done and are continuing to do!!

Anyhow really great reading here at BigDaddyD's low carb blog:
http://lowcarbohydrate.blogspot.com/

Also many thanks to Sparky's Girl who found this and mentioned this post first (on her blog - http://www.lovinglowcarblife.blogspot.com/)!!

I am really appreciative of the Internet low carb community and all you all do to inform, encourage, and support me!! Thanks!!!!!!

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

A Couple of Interesting Headlines


The first article I stumbled across last night suggests that folks who are obese may in fact be (in part) the result of a virus that affects certain people's fat cells. Kinda odd, but interesting info.


The second interesting article I discovered demonstrates the health benefits of being 100lbs down from your previous weight. Much improved health and reduced risk of death as a result. Since I am *almost* at 100lbs lost since last November, I was especially interested in reading this:

Sunday, August 19, 2007

The Stone-Age Diet

While I am not on the "Stone Age" or Paleo Diet, this diet encompasses many ideas that are part of various low carb diet programs. Basically it is sticking to eating low carb and "natural" types of food. It is about avoiding all the "Frankenfoods" (man-made, often high carb, processed foods that don't exist in nature - hydrogenated, chemically treated, enriched, enhanced, etc, foods) is another common theme.

There is so much artificial junk we stick down our gullet. Trans-fats (hydrogenated this and that). Artificial sweeteners and High Fructose Corn Syrups and other sugary stuff. Processed meats and cheese. Chemical cardboard high sugar cereals. Artificial flavors and artificial colors. Preservatives and chemicals of all kinds. MSG. Sulfates. Nitrites and Nitrates. Animal hormones. Pesticides. ARGH! Certainly no self respecting primitive would bother to eat junk like this!

Anyhow, you can find an interesting article about several online blog posts and articles regarding the "stoneage" diet here:


I would think that any low carber who is serious about their health and nutrition, and about learning the low carb way of life ought to read and learn all they can about it. And even when something isn't your bag (say in learning about bodybuilding, or advanced nutritional science or studies, etc) you can still read and learn something of value. I would assume that you are obviously this kind of interested and "highly evolved" person yourself, since you have found your way here!
"Eat the watermelon, spit out the seeds", a wise man once said. So with that as my point of view I think I can read about all kinds of aspects of diet, nutrition and excercise and learn something. Probably no one has a complete corner on the 100% of "the truth" in this area.
While I am personally interested in continuing to follow the Atkins plan myself (now and in the immediate future - "Dance with the one that brung ya"), for the long-haul I am reading about a vareity of low-carb diets and alternatives that will hopefully help me be successful in the long run.
I want to know about South Beach and Protien Power and the Carbohydrates Addicts Diet. I want to understand the science behind metabolism and ketosis and nutrition and excercise. And while a PSP (Protien Sparing Fast) is not for me right now, maybe someday I'll try it as an alternative for a very short period of time, just to shake things up a little. While Carb Cycling or CKD isn't something I am doing now either, it is something I am interested in a little, and have noticed some folks are having great results on - going carb up and then carb down at intervals. Maybe I will try that if my losses stall out at some point for too long, and carb control and or carb/calorie control isn't getting it. The body does adapt, and it may be important to change just to keep things cookin at some point.

I think that by reading alot I can learn about the many ideas, tools, techniques that are available, I can learn more about this bod I live in, and how I can be more healthy and happy in the long run. Eventually I may even get to the point where I am working out again and excercising. Right now I am simply trying to continue with moderate (but increasing) levels of activity to ease into a more healthy and active life.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Obesity in America: Trend Illustrated by CNN

Check it out! CNN has done an interesting interactive map showing weight gain for the United States over the last twenty-plus years! Can anybody say "Supersize Me"? The convenience of the drive-thru lifestyle, and massive amounts of Carbs and sugars in everything are to blame!

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/fit.nation/obesity.map/

Sad Article - Well Regarded 38 yr old man dies from Overweight and Heart Disease

Kindof a sad article in the news about a 38 year old man who died from heart disease at over 700 lbs. He was buried in what funeral directors in Britain estimated to be the largest coffin used there, which was carried by horse drawn carraige.

This could well be me, or many of you others who struggle with weigh gain and weight loss. He was a dad with a little boy, and left a widow, a family who loved him, and lots of friends.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=474295&in_page_id=1770

Low carb is more than some frivolous message, ...it could actually save so many lives.

Help get the low carb message out!


Life. Live it. Love it. Share it. Help some others along the way...

Keeping it Between the Lines

Just a quick post to say that since I have been "Keeping it between the Lines" (between 20-30 grams of carbs a day) things seem to be clicking again after stalling out for several weeks! I have continued losing down to 316 lbs this morning. Pretty nice to see the scale moving again!
Someday soon I will be an easy hundred pounds down, and shortly thereafter I will break into the 200's! I can hardly wait!!
So if yer having trouble keepin the weight loss clickin, get the Low Carb "Po-Leece" on yer backside and do some careful carb counting! It is so easy to have some "carb-creep" go on and loosten the reigns a little on yourself without realizing it (after you get used to things, after awhile on the low carb life). Anyhow, it was a little scary seeing things flatten out, and I was glad it was simply me getting out of whack. Getting things back in-whack (opposite of out-of-whack) helped me get back to regular and consistent weight loss again.
Keep on Keeping on! You can do this low carb thing too!!!

Blog/Journal Tagging: Tag Yer It!

Well, OK... I am going to blog tag some folks! I will tag some low carbers who I enjoy reading about online in their blogs, forum posts, online low-carb journals, etc. I got tagged by "Sparky's Girl" to share eight random things about myself. Having done the dirty deed I am now (supposedly) compelled to tag eight others. Being the boring person I am, I really don't do this kinda thing often, but it's all in fun.

I know that folks like to keep a little of their privacy online, yet we still get to know folks and pull for them when they struggle or get down, and cheer them on when they enjoy weight loss "whhhooooooshes" and reach weight loss goals or hit special landmarks along the way. Ask someone who isn't interested in low carb living and weight loss what "Onederland" is and they will look at you funny. So we share alot of common ground and have the bond of online friendship and encouragement and support of one another. So as we get to know each other online it doesn't really hurt to share some random things, I guess.

Hopefully you won't be offended by being asked to share eight random things with the world. They don't have to be anything tremendously personal or sensitive info (and probably shouldn't be - the Internet is a dangerous place).

In no particular order, Here goes (consider yourself tagged):

Calianna
http://caliannascottage.blogspot.com/

Dianne
http://dearring.com/

PJ
http://www.thedivinelowcarb.blogspot.com/

Regina
http://weightoftheevidence.blogspot.com/

Haole Fats
http://web.mac.com/anthony_roberts/iWeb/Diary%20of%20a%20Haole%20Fats/Haole%20Fats/Haole%20Fats.html

Kate Welch
http://www.thesteaksarehigh.com/

ValerieL
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?p=6945023

tmatrocks
http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?p=6945362

Monday, August 6, 2007

Eight Random Things About Me...

"Sparky's Girl" (http://lovinglowcarblife.blogspot.com/2007/08/8-random-facts.html) tagged me and seven other low carb bloggers to spill our guts about eight random facts about us. Then I guess we gotta tag eight other folks. Here goes...

1.) What I want to hear (more than anything in my life)... "Well done, my good and faithful servant"! I am a bible-believing Christian (a follower and disciple of Jesus Christ). OK, big surprise, huh? With a handle like "onlinechristian" ...go figure. But that is one of the most important facts about me I could ever share with anyone. Does that mean I am perfect? Nope. Got all the answers? Nope (just One of the big ones). Have I arrived? Nope. Big Giant Hypocrite? Hope Not. I would hope that any and all of us would be interested to learn about the Creator God, and what His Word says, avoiding Hell, and obtaining Eternal Life!

2.) My wife and kids and I really enjoy watching the TV show "MONK". It is pretty funny (with a dry and witty sense of humor), about an obsessive-compulsive private detective. We shut off cable TV several years ago and only get two fuzzy channels via rabbit ears. We bought the CD sets of the program, and it is pretty wholesome and almost no off-color or bad stuff on this show. We try to watch good stuff as a family. You wouldn't dump garbage on your living room floor, so why let your TV do it??

3.) I am probably the worlds most boring person. Really! I mean it! Really boring.
I am not: "hip", "Cool", "trendy", "stylin", With-it, or anything else that would approach being really amazingly interesting. I am amazingly uninteresting. I have no idea who is tops in popular music (rock, etc). I like being boring. It's nice. I suits me. I am the original square peg who has found his square hole in life, and that's the way I like it.

4.) I have been to Australia (twice), Singapore, the Philipines, South Korea, and the island of Diego Garcia. I have traveled through almost every state in the continental United States and have been to Alaska and Hawaii. I have "sailed" on the ocean to the other side of the world twice. Now I am someone who likes being home best. No real interest in travel anymore.

5.) I like to read the Readers Digest magazine when I can. Haven't read one in a long while.

6.) I have enjoyed studying my families and my wife's families genealogy. Whodathunkit - we was related to some mighty interesting and purty famous folks?!! Haven't done much with it in a while. Too busy with other aspects of my life.

7.) I enjoy watching Mayberry RFD and the Andy Griffith Show once inna while. The more my life is like that, and my kids lives are like that, the better. I love small-town America best, where it isn't out of style to say the Pledge of Allegiance, a prayer at a football game, sing the National Anthem, stop on the side of the road in quiet respect when a funeral procession passes (as long as it takes), and where kids are taught to say "Yes, Sir", and "Yes, Ma'am" (manners and polite behavior). I generally like country people better than city people. Folks who still know how to make old fashioned homemade ice cream, and who still know and appreciate honest and hard work, good values, animals and farming, and how to be a good neighbor and help others.

8.) I met my wife on the Internet at an online (Christian) matchmaking site! This is back when this was considered a pretty wierd thing, and was much less common.

9.) I love driving and would rather drive clear across the country than fly. I have flown alot (all over the country and all over the world) but I very much prefer to drive. It is a rare thing that I will fly - though I will if absoutely necessary. Sometimes I feel like Rain-Man. It's hard to REALLY trust technology. Can anybody say "Intermittent Problem"? I drive a little bitty teeny tiny boring car that gets me nearly 40 miles to the gallon, most of the time when I go places. Wheeeeee HOOoooooo!!! My other vehicles regularly support the upkeep and maintenance on many of the palaces in the Persian Gulf region and provide a major boost to the net worth of Global Petroleum Companies - Major Gas-Guzzlers.

Yeah, ..I know that's nine and not eight random facts.

I'll tag some others maybe later in another post, ...*if* I can even think of eight folks to tag online!!